Method and apparatus for manufacturing tubes



Oct. 9, 1928. 4 1,686,700

A. LAUGHLIN, JR

METHOD AND APPARATUS FUR MANUFACTURING TUBES Filed Nov. l5, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 oct, 9,1928. 1,686,700

A. LAUGHLINLJR METHD lAND APPARATUS FORVMANUFACTURING TUBES Filed Nov'. 15, 1er s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR Ms R; @y ww, am; 24M

A. LAUGHLIN, JR

-METHOD AND APPARATUSI FOR MANUFACTURING TUBES Oct. 9, 1928.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fi1ed Nov. 15, 1925 ,Y www my,

wwat? Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

UNITED sTATEfs lLasciami PATENTA OFFICE- ALEXANDER LAUGHLIN, JR., OF EDGEWORTH, PENNSYLVANIA; MARGARET I. LAUGHLIN AND THE UNION TRUST CO. 0F PITTSBURGH, EXECUTORS Ol' SAID ALEXANDER LAUGBLIN, JR., DECEASED, ASSIGNORS TO CENTRAL TUBE COMPANY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TUBES.

Application filed November 15, 1923. Serial No. 674,845.

The present invention relates broadly to the manufacture of pipes or tubes, and more particularly to the art -of manufacture of butt-welded tubes. y y

At the present time tubes of the character herein contemplated are manufactured by heating comparatively short strips of skelp tothe required temperature and then gripping the same by a pair of tongs, slipping a bell over the tongs, and attac-hing the tongs to a suitable draw bench. The operation of the draw bench places the tube under a tremendous tension which, due to the temperature at which the material is worked, is decidedly. objectionable. There is also a considerable amount of work involved in handling the bells and returning the tongs to the furnace for repeated use. Also the bells wear out gradually, thereby imparting a gradually decreasing pressure on the skelp and producing poor welds. Due also to the -time required to bring a fresh strip -up to welding temperature after each preceding tube has been formed, the operation is de-` cidedly intermittent and the process necessary comparatively slow considered from Aa .basis of the investment involved.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an improved method and apparatus by means -of which the output of a given furnace can be materially increased without materially increasing the furnace Size and without adding any additional drawing or forming means. v

In the accompanying drawings there is shown, for purposes of illustration only, certain embodiments of the present invention, it being understood that the drawings do not vdefine the limits of the invention, as changes may obviously be made therein without vdeparting from the spirit of the invention or scope of my broader claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention', the furnace being shown in vertical section;

Figure 1a is a view, on a reduced scale, showing one form of delivery' means;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View on.

the line II--II of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, illusitrating a modified form of apparatus oon- Y structed in accordance with my invention.

In carrying out the present invention there may be provided a furnace 2 of any desired construction adapted to be heated in any well known manner, as by fuel and air, su plied through ports 3, there being a stack 4 or the offtake of the waste gases.

Provided within the'furnace and projecting upwardly from the base thereof in substantially parallel relationship is a plurality of supports 5, preferably arranged in pairs. Each pair of supports is adapted to receive thereon one or more shafts 6, each carrying a coil of strip material or skelp from which a tube is formed. These coils may be easily rolled into the furnace through a charging opening 7 at the rear thereof and along the supports until the shafts engage the stops or abutments 8.

In the front wall of the furnace, substantially in alignment with each ofthe coils is a drawing opening 9 through which the skelp may be withdrawn after it has been heated to the required temperature for passage to a roll forming and welding apparatus. If

. desired, a continuous drawing opening may be provided. The drawing apparatus may' conveniently comprise a frame 10 adapted to be moved transversely across the front of the furnace into successive positions to cooperate with different pieces of skelp. This movement of the frame 10 may be accomplished in any desired manner as, for example, by providing a pair of screws 11 suitably interconnected for rotation in unison and adapted to be driven by a motor l2. Carried by the frame l() is a plurality of shafts 13 having at their upper ends forming rolls 14, these rolls being arranged in pairs. It will be under- 1 stood that the axes of the rolls may be parallel, as indicated in the drawings, or that one or more pairs of rolls may have their axes at an angle to the axes of the other rolls. All of the shafts 13 may be intergeared for simultaneous rotation and may be driven in any desired manner, as by a motor 15 having on its shaft 16 a driving gear 1,7 in operative engagement with the kdriven gear 18.

In operation a plurality of coils of material may' be successively charged into the furnace at suitably timed intervals to'insure the raising of the temperatures thereof to the desired point successivel at slightly different times. n this manner t e coil first charged into the furnace may first `be drawn outwardly and formed into a tube by the forming means the rolls of which act successively to form the weld, and thereafter straighten or finish the tube to the required diameter. As soon as one coil has been formed-into a tube, the motor 12 may be operated to movel the forming means to the next position whereupon the second coil will be withdrawn; At the same time a fresh coil may be charged into the furnace to take the place of the one just uncoiled. In this manner a continuous supply of coils may be maintained within the furnace so that the tube forming operation is made more nearly continuous. 1

The broad method of heating in a coil as herein disclosed is made the subject matter of my copending application Serial No, 674,843, of even date herewith. As disclosed therein, I may, if desired, regulate the temperature within the furnace in such manner that the free edges of the coils are not brought to a welding temperature. In this manner stickingof the successive convolutions of the coils is obviated. To raise these edges to the required temperature for Welding, I may provide supplemental burners 19 in cooperative relation to the drawing openings 9, or I may provide means for Supplying a blast of a suitable gas containing oxygen through blast pipes 20, as more fully dislosed in the patents to Moon et al., Nos. 1,026,103, and- 1,026,275 of May 14,' 1912, or both.

Cooperating with the forming means and adapted to receive the tubes as delivered therefrom is a guide 21 gradually converging toward its outer end to direct all of the tubes delivered thereto, irrespective of thei position of the forming means, to one or more f. pairs of sizing and straightening rolls 22.Y` These rolls in turn may deliver to a` coolingv comprising a furnace adapted to support a rack 23 as understood in the art.

In Figure 3 ofthe drawings there isillu'sl trated aslightly modified embodiment of the, invention in which the strips are heated in short flat' lengths and successively withdrawn by al single forming means. In this form of my invention, characters of reference similar t those already utilized but having a prime affixed thereto, are used to designate parts corresponding to parts hereinbefore described in detail.

Heretofore the'use of rolls in place of bells and dies has not been considered feasible due to the diflicultyof moving the end of a heated strip into position between the first pair of rolls. As the tempeiature of lthe skelp at the time it is withdrawn from the furnace is but slightly below the, melting point, any delay will result in burning or melting the skelp. J This has necessitated the use of tongs and bells ,with all the consequent eX'tra labor involved. In order to 40bviate these objections, I pre-shape one end S of each strip to provide a cross section.

.it will be apparent that a single roll frame may be effectively utilized in a manner similarto the ordinary present day draw bench, but with a decrease in labor involved and an increase in output, particularly where the skelp is heated in coils.

The advantages of the present invention arisefrom the provision of a method and apparatus by means of which a traversing roll frame may be eifectivelygutilized for the formation of t-ubes.

I claim: i y

1. In the method of manufacturing butt weld tubing, the steps comprisingpreshaping the ends of a plurality of pieces of strip so as to adapt the piecesto be initially gripped betweenl forming rolls charging the pieces of strip into a furnace in side-by-side relationship, heating them to bring the edges thereof toa welding temperature, and thereafter successively. withdrawing the pieces of stripfand welding the edges thereof to form butt 'weld"tubing bythe action of forming,

'welding and feedingrollsop'erable about ver- A ticaly axes, and charging a fresh piece of lstrip into". the furnace to.` replace the withdrawn'l piece. v .v Y 4 2. Apparatus' forv `manufacturing'. tubes,

plurality of pieces of skelp therein in side by side relationship, the furnace having a plubetween the furnace and the roll forming means for' bringing the forming'mean's successively into cooperative rela-tion with difi ferent pieces. ofy skelp, substantially as :described.

In testimony-'whereof lI have hereunto set' my hand. y y

ALEX-Annan Ligue1-itin, JR. 

